Walking Through Fire
by LaraWinner
Summary: IxKag, Inuyasha faces his most difficult battle yet and the prize is Kagome's soul.
1. Save Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, but if you want to think I do then be my guest.

**Walking Through Fire**

by: Lara Winner

* * *

**Chapter 1: Save Me**

Kagome knew it all came down to this moment. The last two years of her life, all the trips through the well, every jewel shard… all of it boiled down to this one moment when the demise of Naraku was so close she could feel it like a tingle across her skin.

Kagome stood with Kikyo, side by side crating a vortex of violet energy that twirled in a dark spiral with Naraku's youki. Uneasy allies formed a unified front against their vulnerable opponent and it was time for the killing blow. He was defenseless, protected only by a magical shield that was useless against their miko powers combined.

Kagome could sense the others behind her, watching with baited breath as the purifying power that she and Kikyo shared collided with Naraku bathing the surrounding land in a bright shower of white light.

It was then that she heard Inuyasha call Kikyo's name.

It was odd how she could distance herself from the moment. Perhaps it was adrenaline, or maybe it was the fact that what was transpiring was almost too much for her frail human body to take. Kagome felt like she was dying and yet at the same time the scene played out in her mind as if she were outside herself watching from afar. She heard his cry so clearly but it wasn't his concern that tore Kagome's heart apart, it was the fear and desperation that laced his voice. It made her realize for the first time exactly how deeply his feelings for her predecessor ran.

Then everything exploded in a rush of movement and there was no time to think, only to react. The intensity of power rushing about both mikos was destroying Kikyo's clay body. The souls that fueled her began to slip free as her form began to crack and crumble. With Inuyasha's voice ringing in her ears, Kagome did the only thing she could do.

She tried to save Kikyo.

Kagome grasped her hand letting all the healing energy she could muster flow out and into her rival. The pain was a memory. Everything was so far away as Kikyo drew the life from her. Then Kikyo turned to Kagome and smiled. Not a nice smile, but a victorious one as she took back the last of what life Kagome could offer.

Her soul.

* * *

When the mushroom cloud of metaphysical power subsided Inuyasha was not prepared for what was left in its wake. 

The hanyou had braced himself for bits and pieces of Naraku, or at least the remains of the many demons that patterned his carcass. He was willing to sift through a knee-deep puddle of limbs and bodily excrement's to retrieve the whole Shikon jewel that had been in the bastard's possession.

Inuyasha was even prepared to face that fact that Kikyo could not have possibly survived a maelstrom of power of that caliber. The residual effects left his own skin a bit singed around the edges. He could only imagine the havoc it wreaked on her clay form.

But when the damage was done and the dust finally settled there was nothing left but a lone figure crumpled on the battle scarred ground.

"KAAGGOOOMMMEEE!"

Bits of ash and dust flittered about the air compounding to the horrid scent of burnt flesh and grave dirt, but Inuyasha paid no mind as he skidded to a halt beside the fallen girl and dropped to his knees beside her.

"Kagome…" he whispered softly gently lifting her dead weight into his lap. As her body was shifted Kagome's left arm slipped to the side and the complete shikon jewel fell from her slack fist and rolled a few inches.

Inuyasha quickly snatched the jewel and tucked it safely away in his haori before cradling Kagome against his chest. But he gasped as the ebony tresses that hid her face fell away revealing her once clear, gray eyes which were now clouded over with a milky sheen as they stared sightlessly onward. Shallow breaths labored to escape her lungs in a slow rhythm that matched the sluggish beating of her heart.

The hanyou's blood turned to ice in his veins, horrified. He'd seen this before. He knew the blank look on Kagome's face and her catatonic state all too well. He'd watched it happen when Urasue cast the enchantment that had stolen her soul.

A panicked growl rumbled in his throat.

"Inuyasha is Kagome-sama…" Miroku choked on the question as he crouched down beside the hanyou and paled, comprehending the situation instantly. "Damn this is worse than I thought!"

Inuyasha glared. "We have to get her back to Baba. She'll know what to do."

Not to be ignored, Shippo climbed onto the Monk's shoulder to get a better look. What he saw made his little face scrunch up in worry. "Is…" he swallowed hard, "is she dead?"

"Oi baka! She's not dead! Don't ever fucking say stupid shit like that again!"

The kit flinched and Inuyasha struggled to get a hold of his emotions. He could feel Sesshomaru's cold stare boring holes into his back and for the first time he really didn't give a rat's ass how pathetic he looked right then. He also sent a silent prayer of thanks to the gods that Ginta and Hakaku had already carted off a very unconscious Kouga sometime earlier. The last thing he needed was that pansy ass wolf in a tizzy over Kagome's condition.

When Inuyasha had the gut feeling things were only going to get worse he was rarely disappointed.

"Inuyasha you had better come see this!" called Sango from a few feet behind.

Securing his hold on Kagome, the hanyou made his way to the exterminator's side. Kirara mewed softly and pawed at the ground as Kohaku crouched down beside Sango, both watching him with trepidation as the realization of what she had found dawned on him.

It was broken bits of clay, scattered by wind and not at all resembling the animated mannequin it had been. The large pieces were caked in a paste of grave dirt and old blood. From the ground part of a face looked back at him, neatly broken, bearing a high cheekbone and an empty eye socket.

He felt sick.

This was déjà vu all over again. He could taste Kikyo's cremated remains on his tongue as he breathed. Kagome's sallow flesh was a little too corpse like for his piece of mind. And of course there was the burning question…

If Kikyo was gone then where the fuck was Kagome's soul?

It was best to deal with one thing at a time and holding onto that thread of reason like a lifeline, Inuyasha pinned Miroku with a stern look. "Is Naraku dead?"

"I believe it is safe to say he has been eliminated-"

"Take off the fucking glove bozu! I want to know for a fucking fact that he's not coming back."

Miroku moved to undo the prayer beads but his fingers paused, hovering over the cool glass beads. Inuyasha snarled and took a threatening step forward and the monk hastily removed the beads and then the glove, holding his breath as the lifted fabric revealed the smooth and unblemished skin of his palm.

"Naraku has fooled us with this before, but this time it feels strange. Perhaps he really is dead." Miroku breathed in wonder, flexing his fingers.

"But what of Kagome-chan?" Sango asked sadly. Her eyes took on far away look as she stepped closer to he hanyou and his charge.

"I'm taking her back to Kaede's." Inuyasha amended. "Try and keep up."

Before his companions dared blink the hanyou was at a dead run and disappearing from sight.

Inuyasha paced the small confines of the hut as the elderly miko remained focused in silent concentration. She sat beside Kagome with her hands placed upon young girl's brow. A bowl of crushed blossoms, coriander seeds and smoldering woodchips gave off a thick fog of incense that made the hanyou's eyes water.

Kaede's low chanting was wearing on his nerves but there was nothing he could do to still the turmoil raging inside mind. His heart was heavy and his stomach was one twisted knot of fear and anger.

No not anger.

Rage.

It boiled and bubbled inside his gut with no extension for release. He fisted his hands in repetitious reflex oblivious to the blood seeping from the gouges made by his claws. There was nothing in the world he hated more then feeling helpless and right now he was wallowing in a murky pit of the worthless emotion.

First Kikyo, now Kagome. It was tearing him up to admit that he could not do more to protect them. He should have risked getting purified and joined them in the thick of things. He should have done something, anything to prevent such a horrid outcome.

He wasn't sure he could stand to loose them both. Not now. Not when he had the chance to set things right between Kikyo and himself. And even if Kikyo had demanded his life as final payment, his one reassurance was that Kagome would live on. Kagome was his strength. She stood for all the good things he had thought had long since died, in himself and in the world around them.

Suddenly so much became pointless without Kagome's presence to secure its value. Even his own existence seemed bleak and small when he envisioned it without her vibrant soul to illuminate the darkness.

But he fucked up bad this time and now the price was coming down on his head two fold. Without her soul it was only a matter of time before Kagome's body would burn out. It could take days, even weeks, but eventually the hollow shell she had become would cease functioning and she would die. As it was, he could already pick up the scent of death upon her.

There had to be a way to fix it. All he needed to do was locate her soul. It didn't just vanish into thin air. It was somewhere and he was going to find it even if it killed him.

So where was he supposed to look? Miroku said he had done a thorough search of the battlefield but Kagome's aura was no longer there. The monk had blessed what little was left Kikyo's remains and had placed them back in their proper resting place at the shrine. The portion of Kagome's soul that Urasue had taken was no longer there either.

It was as if she were carried away by the wind.

If Inuyasha hadn't seen Kagura's demise personally he would have thought that this was another mastermind scheme to credit to Naraku. He still was not quite convinced the bastard was dead and gone. He had fooled them once and led them on a merry chase through the looking glass. It could happen again.

Inuyasha checked the urge to break the hut apart in his immense frustration. His head was throbbing and the pressure behind his eyes made his head feel ready to explode. He needed air. The damn incense was going to make him relieve the contents of his stomach if he didn't step out of the hut for a quick breather.

Growling under his breath, the hanyou stormed out into the late evening darkness. He cast a quick glance at the roof but the idea of sitting still and keeping vigil under the twinkling stars was unappealing. He needed action. Instead he headed toward the forest that bore his namesake.

The hapless trees never knew what hit them as Inuyasha vented his pent up emotions. One after another the trees crashed to the forest floor, splintering apart from the force behind each blow. He was so intent on spending every last ounce of energy he possessed that when he caught the scent of wildflowers and human female pheromones he over looked it.

It was a delayed reaction. He froze mid swing as a name and face flashed across his mind in conjunction with the warm scent that wafted through the air. His golden eyes widened in disbelief and he slowly turned, only now becoming aware of the woman standing behind him.

"Kikyo…"

There were a few not-so-subtle changes that Inuyasha would have been a fool to miss as he faced his former lover. For starters she was smiling in a cheerful manner, one that made her doe brown eyes sparkle in a way he had never seen before. Secondly, she stood before him naked in all her youthful glory. And third was the most disturbing…

Kikyo was very much alive.

TBC...

* * *

A.N. – Hmm… this is an idea that I had started back last October. The story is almost complete and I was inspired to finish this by the latest manga chapter. And I was just beginning to like Kikyo too.

I know Kikyo is being portrayed as a bitch in this fic but it fit for the plot and well… it just works for me. So let me know what you think and I'm going to have another up chapter date up by next weekend.

Thanks for reading!


	2. My Enigma

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, but if you want to think I do then be my guest.

**Walking Through Fire**

by: Lara Winner

* * *

**Chapter 2: My Enigma**

Inuyasha blinked in shell-shocked wonder at the woman before him.

There she stood, so close he could hear her heart beat. The scent of grave dirt and bones no longer clung to clay flesh. What filled his keen nose now was rich and heady, just the way he remembered her over half a century ago. It was a scent he'd sough out because it had once been synonymous with comfort. Now it made him back up a step as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place.

If Kikyo discerned his mounting unease she masked it with an impish grin. "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice me."

She advanced and he continued to back away until he was stopped by the rough bark of a tree trunk at his back. He didn't want to know the truth that his mind was screaming rather loudly. But it was all there for him to see. Her entire countenance was glowing as if she was hard pressed to contain her inner-light. Like a shoe one size to small… he supposed the same applied for souls and the bodies that contained them.

This was not Kikyo. The girl he loved was serene and somber even at the best of times. It had been her habit to practice rigid discipline. Kikyo was not prone to smiles and teases.

That was Kagome's forte. Her lust for life and good nature made it hard for a smile to leave her face. She was too free and open with her trust and her heart.

What Inuyasha was seeing now should not exist. It was a blasphemy of everything he held dear. He could only sallow against the bile rising in the back of his throat as Kikyo leaned closer pressing the soft swell of her bare bosom into his chest. Her arms slipped about his neck as she moved to kiss him. He flinched away and turned his head causing her to pout prettily.

"Inuyasha, " she whispered softly, her voice sounding eerily like Kagome's. "My love, have you not longed for this moment when we could be together again?"

"Ki… Kikyo…" he stammered.

"I'm alive. Is that not what you wanted?"

"Yes but… this…" he tugged her arms from about his neck more than eager to put distance between them, "This is not right. You died…"

"But that was then and this is now," she cocked her head curiously, "Or perhaps you've wanted someone else all along?" Kikyo smiled and her face shimmered like a rippling pond and then it wasn't Kikyo's face looking back at him, it was Kagome's.

"Shit!" He pushed her away and stumbled from his cornered position against the tree. "What the fuck?"

"Inuyasha you're such a silly puppy." Kagome chided.

"No way! There's no fucking way that's possible!"

"Oh but it is. I'm here aren't I? You see me." she stepped closer causing the hanyou to stumble away again only this time he landed on his backside. Like a cat she pounced and using his surprise to her advantage, she straddled his waist. Running her fingers up and down the fire rat fur, she purred. "You can feel me Inuyasha. Isn't this what you really wanted?"

He slapped her hands away angrily. "You're not Kagome. I don't what the fuck you are but you've taken her soul and I'm gonna make you give it back!"

Seeing that her method was failing, the girl sighed. "And just how are you going to do that? Once her body dies this form will become permanent. You must decide whom you like better Inuyasha and do so quickly. You've only got until daybreak."

"Daybreak!" His heart lurched fearfully.

Kagome leaned closer and smiled. "Yes love. Daybreak. Tomorrow morning. Sunrise. I'm sure you get the picture. Of course you couldn't decide for two years, I suppose a few hours more won't change that. How about I compromise ne?"

Once again her features began to shift sliding into an entirely new image, one that was a prefect balance of Kagome and Kikyo. Inuyasha growled, his anger spiking to a dangerous level as a tingle youki made its presence known.

Whatever the fuck this creature was it was at least part demon. That was all he needed to know.

"Feh," he snorted. "Impressive tricks but I'm not falling for it. Not that it matters 'cuz you won't live to see tomorrow anyway."

"You're so cute when you're angry." She giggled.

He readied his claws, "And you make me sick!" he snarled taking a well-aimed swipe.

It was easier to strike the creature while it wore the face of both his loves, but it still hurt to see the illusion contort into a painful grimace as she went flying backward clutching at her middle. Blood began to seep through her laced fingers as she landed on her back and slid across the damp grass several feet away.

A sinister chuckle lit the air as the creature's face shifted back into that of Kagome's. "Stupid hanyou." she rasped sitting up as Inuyasha leapt to his feet unsheathing tetsusaiga. "So you like it rough. Then let's see how well you play on my turf."

Quite abruptly the forest fell way in a dizzying wave of light.

* * *

Sango gasped as a choked gurgling noise erupted from Kagome's throat. The young miko's body arched off of the ground, her hands clawing at the mat upon which she laid. On her dirt smudged school blouse blossomed a small pearl of crimson that continued to grow quite steadily over her stomach. With trembling fingers the she lifted the stained material, her eyes widening at the five lacerations furrowed deep into the miko's skin.

"Oh Gods…" she breathed in horror.

* * *

It took a short eternity for the moving landscape to stop its off-kilter spinning. Inuyasha clung to tetsusaiga using the transformed blade imbedded into the ground as an anchor to counter his disrupted equilibrium. When all stilled he found himself standing in a vast plain that spread as far as his youkai eyes could see.

Gray earth upon black sky blurred where they met on the horizon and a chill crept up the hanyou's spine as he felt the barren terrain tremble beneath his feet. There was nothing, no grass, no trees, no sound or scents of life that he could detect. It was a still wasteland, cold and dead save for the creature bearing Kagome's face.

It laughed, rising to its feet with regained strength. One hand lifted imploringly toward Inuyasha and he swallowed thickly watching the bloody fingers glisten sickly. But his revulsion shifted to anger as he noted that the wounds he had inflicted on the Kagome look-alike were completely healed leaving the previously shredded flesh of her stomach unblemished.

"My love," she giggled. "Don't be so cross. We can go at this all night if you wish but would it not be better to make this as easy as possible and choose?"

The thought sickened him.

"Not fucking likely." He snarled brandishing tetsusaiga. "You may look like Kagome but you're not her."

"Am I not? I have her soul, her memories, and her love for you. I know that she wanted you. She was willing to taint herself because of her impure desires for you. And she was eager to die for you." The Kagome doppelganger shook her head in mock sympathy. "She handed me her soul on a sliver platter because she knew that was what you secretly wanted. You wanted Kikyo to return to you."

Each revelation was a hot knife in Inuyasha's chest. He was not certain he could trust the creature's words and he knew it could easily be a web of lies spun to make him doubt. But this time the taunting hit a nerve and no amount of reasoning could shake his sinking guilt.

After all, it was a twisted version the truth.

The face rippled and changed into that of Kikyo. "All you have to do is ask it of me and I will be yours once again for eternity."

Never in Inuyasha's life had the desire to cry been so strong. It burned at the back of his throat choking his voice and making it difficult to draw in a breath. He gripped tetsusaiga's hilt willing his focus to return. He needed the anger. It helped keep his human heart at bay.

"Inuyasha…" she stepped closer.

The hanyou's temper snapped.

"Stay the fuck away from me you worthless piece of shit! Why would I settle for your illusions when I could have the real thing, huh? Did you ever think of that?"

The creature flinched and he sensed the hint of youki once again. Then it flared as Kikyo's familiar face contorted into an enraged grimace. "It will save you a lot of heartache to obey me and make your choice."

"Feh. I obey no one but myself! I'm nobody's lapdog!"

The creature's eyes narrowed in displeasure at his casual disregard. "You will obey me." she warned.

"First try this on for size." Inuyasha smirked as he assumed his fighting stance. "Kaze No Kizu!"

The roar of the wind scar ripped through the barren space. The doppelganger reacted quickly throwing up a protective barrier that deflected the intended attack. From behind the invisible wall she laughed clearly amused at his failed attempt on her life.

"I suppose now would be a good time to mention that the harm you inflict upon me is reciprocated on your precious little miko. Should you kill me you will kill her as well." She warned playfully.

"You lie!"

"I matters not if you believe me. Use your sword again and you will find out for yourself." Her face changed to that of Kagome's as she let the barrier drop and held out her arms tauntingly. "Come on hanyou, what are you waiting for? Kill me already. It will certainly put an end to the confusion in your heart."

Inuyasha's grip tightened on tetsusaiga but he could not bring himself to strike again for fear that her cryptic warning would prove true. There had to be some way to bring this creature down without damaging Kagome's soul in the process. He just needed to know what the fuck he was up against.

Faking a confident smirk that he didn't feel he forced himself to compliment the creature. "I'm impressed. A youkai that can use the soul of a miko to disguise her youki... I never would have thought that was possible. How do you do it without getting purified?"

As she assessed his sincerity a cold glint entered the Kagome-look-a-like's eyes, one that turned the lucent gray orbs a steely silver. It was look he had never seen on Kagome's face and he vowed to never see again if he could just get her soul back where it belonged.

"How foolish do you think I am? I'm not going to let you lure me into giving you the necessary information to destroy me. Although at this point it would take nothing short of a miracle for you to overcome me and get that little bitch's soul back. You see, I was absorbed that half-breed abomination Naraku and his accumulated power has infused my own to an unimaginable level. I was lucky I am a Shinidama-chuu or else when he was destroyed I would have been destroyed with him." At Inuyasha's gasp of disbelief she cocked her head to the side curiously. "Are you surprised? Surely you knew that we Shinidama-chuu could take human form, like most youkai. Only my kind are an exception to every rule since we are not only bound to the mortal world but also to all realms beyond."

Inuyasha blinked. "I still don't understand why you need Kagome-"

"Because I want to be human!" She interrupted with an angry hiss. "I lived my entire existence till now with the empathy to feel human souls and their emotions but always lacking the ability to have such emotions myself. Even Naraku had felt immensely. His rage and lust for your precious Kikyo... it was all consuming for as long as he had kept his human heart. But even after he discarded that part of Onigumo the hatred still remained. So I waited all the while wondering why he felt that way. And through his eyes I saw those two miko's you covet. The dead one was cold and not as pure of heart as you like to think, after all she was only a clay shell with a stolen piece of a soul. She no longer possessed a heart, human or otherwise."

At the mention of Kikyo, Inuyasha saw red. "You're not fit to speak of her that way! She had more of heart than you ever will. She was good and kind, until the end. And that is something you will never understand!"

"Is that so? Then tell me why she gave me the opening I needed by trying to take your little miko's soul first?"

A shout of denial choked in his throat and he griped tetsusaiga for dear life. _No... Kikyo would never..._ But even his anger couldn't kill the sick feeling of dread that filled him as doubt surfaced. He had never trusted Kikyo, even when she was alive. To say she held his complete faith in death was a lie that he couldn't tell himself. Not that he trusted the creature before him but... a part of him was not surprised. After all Kikyo had made attempts on Kagome's life before, why not do it again?

Hating the way his vision seemed to blur around the edges, Inuyasha looked away. Dragging in a ragged breath he struggled for composure as his heart was once again burdened by the sting of betrayal. "So why Kagome?" he whispered softly. "There are thousands of other souls that you could take. Why hers?"

"I wanted to know love. I wanted to know why her feelings for you were the only thing Naraku feared. Why it was the only thing he couldn't destroy..." seeing his stricken expression, cruel delight filled her voice. "At that final moment she heard you call Kikyo's name, you know. There she was nearly being torn apart from the amount of power pouring out of her and she still tried to save Kikyo because it would make you happy. Stupid fool should have saved herself. She is obviously weak and deserves her fate." the creature spat!

"**SHUT THE FUCK UP!**" He snarled as anger unlike anything he'd ever felt roared to life at the youkai's insults. His eyes flashed red, purple stripes appeared on his cheeks and only his grip on his sword kept his youki from taking full control and ripping the creature into tiny pieces.

_Nobody talks about Kagome that way. Nobody..._

"You will never understand her you pathetic son-of-a-bitch! Kagome doesn't belong here dealing with all this shit. She's too good for it. You can call her weak all you want but Kagome don't need to be anything more than what she is because she's my strength. As long as there is breath in my body I will find a way to get her soul back no matter what it takes!"

The soul-stealer laughed, her face changing to that of Kikyo. "You sound desperate hanyou. And don't forget you're running out of time."

Knowing she was right, panic flashed in his ruby-tinged eyes. "Then take my soul instead. I'll take her place if that's what you want."

"I'm touched... but no. Even if I did want hanyou powers, which I don't, I could never use them because you're still youkai like me. And I'm looking for a new mate... one strong and handsome like you."

"Not interested asshole!"

"Too bad." she sighed, raising her arms above her head as she stretched idly. Her face shifted back to that of Kagome. "Since you can't choose I think I'll take this form. Time is not linear here so best I am prepared. It will become permanent at any moment."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth in angry frustration as another wave of complete helplessness crashed over him. He had no idea what to do. There was nothing he could come up with short of trying to kill the creature and that would kill Kagome. He could never bring himself to hurt Kagome willingly... He winced. All he seemed to do was hurt her. Whether by words or by his actions, or in this case lack thereof, she always ended up in a bad situation. For once he had to do the right thing. It was more important now than ever. If only he knew what the right thing was because he was wasting precious time trying to figure it out.

_I wish I knew what the hell to do. _

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind when a fizzle of power, heady and quite familiar, shot across his chest. He reached a hand to the spot feeling the power surge where the Shikon no Tama resided tucked securely in his haori.

Inuyasha pulled out the glowing jewel and held it the palm of his hand looking at it as if he'd never seen it before. In the flash of a second every fantasy he ever had containing the jewel and its power ran through his mind and in that moment he had an epiphany. Everything was suddenly so crystal clear that he was overcome by a feeling of calm. His youkai blood receded. He was focused. And for the first time in his life he knew exactly what he wanted, and it wasn't acceptance, or vengeance, or even unlimited power...

It was Kagome. Nothing more and nothing less.

Closing his fist around the jewel he poured every ounce of emotion he could muster into his thoughts as he whispered softly, "I whish for Kagome to live, for her to be happy and for her to have her soul back so she can live the life she wants..." The jewel flared and the sensation became increasingly painful, as if rejecting his wish. Inuyasha clutched it all the more tighter. "Damn it! Don't deny me this!"

A voice as cool as a winter gust blew across his mind. _'Is this what your heart truly desires?'_

"More than anything." The answer poured from his lips in a fervent whisper without hesitation.

The jewel flared again and the pain increased ten-fold traveling up Inuyasha's arm and into his shoulder. In the far reaches of his mind he was aware of the Soul-stealer coming closer demanding to know what he was doing and who he was talking to, yet he couldn't concentrate on anything but the need to hold onto the Shikon-no-Tama no matter what.

_'As you wish.'_ The voice replied.

A soft cry escaped his lips as pain exploded in an array of reds and golds engulfing his body, overtaking his vision and drowning out his hearing as the roar of undiluted power broke free of its glass restraints sweeping everything away in a bright vortex of gray and violet.

* * *

A.N. – So before I get any questions… I have no idea if Kikyo's soul-stealers are truly that powerful. But I was trying to come up with something original and as far as I've seen this hasn't been done before (please correct me if I'm wrong) and I thought the idea was kind of interesting when it came to me.

Not to mention I was extremely bored…

I'm going to let you know that this isn't going to be a big epic, probably six or seven chapters at most. This is sort of my condensed conclusion to the anime. I'm sorry if I've ticked off any die hard Kikyo fans. And on that note I'm off to put some finishing touches on the rest of the fic and actually write the last chapter(s).

Thanks for reading!


	3. Windows to a Soul

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, but if you want to think I do then be my guest.

**Walking Through Fire**

by: Lara Winner

* * *

**Chapter 3: Windows to a Soul**

Consciousness returned to Inuyasha in stages. First came the awareness of a dull ache throbbing throughout his body, contracting each muscle in residual spasms. Then came the pounding in his skull that only intensified the ringing that filled his ears. Lastly his eyes blinked open, confusion overwhelming him as he tried to gain his bearings. It only took a moment for everything to come rushing back.

Inuyasha sat up so fast it made his head spin. His right hand clutched at the grass digging his claws into the dirt as his equilibrium slowly came back into balance. Casting a quick glance about he realized he was back in his forest and no longer trapped in the eerie nether world. The crazy bitch with the changing faces was gone too. He looked to the sky and sighed in relief seeing that it was only just beginning to turn gray through the dappling leaves. Dawn was almost there but it hadn't arrived yet.

As he rose a bit unsteadily to his feet it was then he took notice of the shikon jewel still tightly clutched in his left hand. He uncurled his fist and his eyes widened slightly as the jewel glowed a bright blue-ish white that swirled iridescent with traces of violet within the glass. He knew. He wasn't sure how but he just knew that it was Kagome's soul inside the jewel. It was time she got it back.

_Hang on Kagome, I'm coming._

Taking to the trees Inuyasha raced back to the village at a breakneck pace, or rather, the hanyou tried to. He was moving far more sluggish than normal and his balance was horribly off kilter but he pushed himself to make it to Kagome before the coming sunrise turned the sky any lighter. As soon as he emerged through the tree line he picked up a sickly scent, one that usually preceded death. It hung heavy in the air like a low-lying fog drifting on a soft breeze from the direction of the village. He also smelled Kagome's blood and a lot of it at that. His stomach dropped as fear caught him in its cold grip.

It did nothing to ease the knot of terror winding tighter inside of him when he neared Kaede's hut to find Kohaku and Miroku sitting on the walkway steps, the monk trying to comfort Shippo who was sobbing brokenheartedly in his lap. Upon seeing him the sorrowful expression on Miroku's face grew shadowed but the sympathy in his eyes didn't waver. When the kit caught Inuyasha's scent his head jerked up from the houshi's robes and his red, puffy eyes narrowed accusingly.

"Where have you been baka? Were you waiting for Kagome to die before you came back?" he hissed angrily before beginning to wail miserably once again.

"Is she..." he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"No." Patting the kitsune's head almost absently, Miroku gave Inuyasha a pointed look. "I will not ask where you have been my friend but you must say your goodbye's to Kagome-sama now. She's fading quickly."

Hope surged through him at the houshi's words along with a rush of pure adrenaline. "She's not gonna die monk. I've got her soul right here." he said holding up his hand revealing the glowing jewel.

The monk gaped his eyes going as wide as wagon wheels. "Inuyasha how is tha-"

He didn't give Miroku the chance to finish his question. His one-track mind was already shifting its focus back to Kagome as he jumped the steps and burst into Kaede's hut, the others following right behind.

With as many times as Kagome had been on the brink of death, Inuyasha had thought he'd braced himself for the worst. But taking one look at the young girl lying on the futon across the room he swore his heart stopped beating. For a moment he really thought he was too late.

Her skin was ashen and as colorless as the flesh of any corpse he'd ever seen. Her eyes remained open but deep, black circles had formed giving her face a sickly and almost skeletal appearance. And there was the blood smudging her cheek, staining her green and white blouse that was discarded and lying in a heap beside the futon, covering Sango's hands as they pressed against Kagome's abdomen. Kaede was currently wringing out a bloody washcloth over a bucket of water that had become tinted pink.

'_No it can't be…' _

The denial echoed across Inuyasha's numbed mind as he realized the source of the crimson fluid was a series of distinctive lesions that burrowed deep into her body. His gaze dropped down to his hand, flinching at the rusty streaks dried to his skin and crusted around his claws.

_Oh gods… I did this to her…_

He crossed the room barely even aware that he was moving or even that he sank to his knees beside the futon once he'd reached her side. Sango's sigh of relief at his arrival was missed by the hanyou as was the hopeful look she sent to Kaede. The old miko however was intently focusing on Inuyasha's clenched fist with a peculiar countenance.

"I see your journey was successful Inuyasha?" she stated, her grating voice breaking the trance of his guilt and bringing him back to the task at hand.

The jewel in his hand pulsed in a bid to be released and he could only nod in response as he opened his fist. The blue-ish glowing orb pulsed again then rose into the air. All in the room watched with bated breath as the soul sought out its rightful owner.

* * *

Kagome wasn't sure where she was but she was cold. A deep chill emanated from inside of her where she felt hollow and empty. There was nothing to see, just gray mist that seemed to stretch out to the vast reaches of eternity.

She was certain she was alone yet voices seemed to come at her from the mist, indiscernible and yet belonging to someone just the same. She tried to make sense of her surroundings but her thoughts were jumbled and where memories should have been there was nothing but a blank void.

She shivered. The cold was biting, almost numbing, and no matter how she curled in on herself there was no warmth to be found. From the medley of irrational musings came the coherent thought that she should be frightened.

Kagome should have known what that meant, she was certain, but there was nothing inside of her except ice and emptiness.

* * *

Transfixed, Inuyasha watched intently as the glowing jewel was absorbed inside Kagome's body. Unsure what to expect, he flinched when a choked cry erupted from Kagome's throat. Then the blue glow engulfed her body, spreading out from her chest through her limbs until every inch of exposed skin seemed to radiate her inner light.

Slowly the wounds on her stomach began to close, sealing up from the inside out until not even a blemish remained as a reminder of their existence. The deathly pallor of her skin darkened with lively hues, turning from gray to its normal sun-kissed bronze. Even her eyes lost their vacant stare, the milky sheen that obscured them fading as their natural shade returned, just before their lids slid closed.

Inuyasha could hear her heartbeat increase, steady and strong. Kagome's chest rose and fell with a soft sigh as she slipped into a natural slumber. The coil of fear inside of the hanyou's gut began to ease but the loss of anxiety left him feeling drained and queasy, raw and vulnerable.

Clasping Kagome's hand in a death grip, he dragged in a ragged breath. The others were crowded around with Shippo petting her ebony hair in soothing strokes and Kaede chanting a prayer for the young girls well being. His gaze fell to his blood crusted claws. The sick feeling in his stomach grew worse.

He shouldn't have lashed out like he did. What if his claws had gone deeper? What if he'd killed her? What if when she awoke she remembered?

He clenched his fist, his shoulders slumping in defeat. No matter how he tried to protect Kagome he was always the one to hurt her the in worst ways. He wanted to break something. He wanted to smash his fist through the floor boards of the small hut. Something. Anything to vent the frustration he felt at his own inadequacies.

She was better off without him.

Of course he'd always known that. From day one when she freed him from the Goshinbu, all he'd done for her in return was bring her more trouble than she'd ever deserved. If he cared about her at all he'd bring her back through the well this very moment and then destroy it so that Kagome could never return. It would be for her own good. Her family could care for her and then she would be safe.

Safe from him and his fucking claws. Safe from the selfish bastard that always seemed to break her heart…

He bit back the disgruntled growl that rose in his throat and held her limp hand all that much tighter because he wouldn't let her go. He was selfish enough to keep her by his side, if only because he could no longer envision his future without her in it.

* * *

Kagome was content to drift in her sea of hazy confusion until the burning began.

It started like a heavenly spark of warmth but it didn't stop. It spread through her like a wildfire getting brighter and hotter until she started to feel something other than confusion. But still her mind was fuzzy and as unclear as the mist around her. And when the mist began to move, the voices echoing around her blending and merging Kagome remembered what fear was.

A piercing, gut wrenching adrenaline rush took hold of her. Afraid, Kagome called to the one who would chase her fears away. It was instinctual. Habitual. The name came to her without thought or even any real sense of comprehension. She just knew and so she called…

"Inuyasha!"

And from somewhere out of the swirling mist a disembodied voice replied, _"As you wish."_

* * *

Hours had passed since dawn broke over the horizon. One by one the hut's occupants had succumbed to their own exhaustion, all but Inuyasha.

The hanyou was wide awake and keeping a silent vigil over his miko from the future. Free from the close scrutiny of his companions, Inuyasha had long since let his guard drop. Surrendering to the desire, he had lifted Kagome from her futon and placed her in his lap, cradling her in the protective circle of his arms. Her scent drowned his senses, warm and heady, as he buried his face into her hair.

He sighed… then nearly jumped out of his skin as trembling fingers attempted to caress his cheek, only they ended up around the vicinity of his chin.

Thoroughly startled, he pulled back to see Kagome's face and found her slowly rousing. She tried to open her eyes and focus but was still too disoriented. Her hand fell back to rest against his chest as she groaned softly.

"Inu…ya…" she whispered.

"Ssshh! Don't talk." He said more gruffly than necessary. "Don't even fucking move, just sit still and keep quiet. I've got you."

Kagome blinked twice more before cracking one eye open to give him a weak glare. But almost instantly her expression softened. He looked a bit haggard and very tired. Little worry lines creased his brow and his jaw was set, a sure sign that his emotions were in turmoil. It was obvious this was taking a toll on him.

Along with that thought came what little she remembered. It was fuzzy at best- Inuyasha leaving her an opening to shoot Naraku, Kikyo at her side as they fed the purifying energy that engulfed them and then nothing but the inky darkness that seemed to swallow her- and she wished her head wasn't quite so dizzy so that she could make more sense of everything.

Was Narku dead? What of the others? And Kikyo, was she…?

Gaining a little more strength in her voice she managed to croak, "Is everyone… alright?"

It was Inuyasha's turn to offer the girl in his arms a slight, rueful smile. He shouldn't be surprised, this was Kagome after all and her main concern was always for another's well-being before her own. It was one of many things made her so priceless, that and the fact that she had no clue just how refreshing her concerns were in his world where compassion was a weakness that got you killed and it was always every dog for himself.

"_You_ don't worry about them. They're fine, all things considered. And didn't I tell you not to talk!" he groused.

Kagome merely grinned, a small sigh escaping her as she snuggled closer into Inuyasha and closed her eyes once more. He studied her peaceful expression carefully, even checked her scent to make sure she was fine, and finally relaxed. He tightened his hold and tucked his face into her hair, for the moment content.

The minutes ticked by in the comfortable silence. Inuyasha's thoughts continued their previous trek down the desolate path for the future as he contemplated what should happen next. He knew what he wanted. She was alive and well and he would give anything, and he meant anything, to keep her that way. But what about the rest? Things like a relationship and all that other crap he wasn't sure he was capable of. What if she expected it? What if she didn't?

Maybe he shouldn't worry. Kagome had yet to make her own decisions concerning them.

As if on cue she broke the silence. "Inuyasha?"

His ears perked and he stiffened realizing that Kagome was still awake. She was so quiet and still he thought she'd fallen asleep. Apparently not. "Yeah?"

"Was Naraku destroyed?" She asked hesitantly. "I don't remember much of anything that happened."

"Fucking bastard is finally dead!" he exclaimed.

_So she doesn't remember. Thank the Gods for small blessings_.

Only now Inuyasha worried about how much to tell her. He didn't want to upset her all over again and he'd promised to tell the others everything that had happened as soon as Kagome was awake. What would they think when he told them about the jewel? What would Kagome think?

"And Kikyo… did she…?

"She didn't make it." was all he trusted himself to say.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha's face and instantly regretted opening her mouth. He swallowed hard and stared the far wall refusing to meet her gaze. She could feel the agony reflected in his expression and felt it as if it were her own and her heart broke a little more at watching him suffer. Scalding tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall. He would need her to be strong and so she would, for him.

But she wasn't a fool. She knew Kikyo's death could change everything. But then Naraku was also dead and that _did_ change everything. What would become of them now? With all the jewel shards collected, would Inuyasha really need her anymore?

"I'm sorry." She breathed in the softest of whispers. Reaching up he turned his face forcing him to look at her. "I really mean that. I'm so sorry it ended like this."

He wanted to pull away and tell her to mind her own business. He didn't want her to see how much he needed her to touch him and he was weak for it. And there she went again being typically… well, Kagome. When she had every right to gloat that Kikyo was gone, instead she looked at things from his perspective and felt sorry for him. He didn't want her pity but he didn't want her stop touching him either.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Inuyasha's hand came up and covered her smaller one and pressed it to his cheek.

And this was how they were discovered by Shippo a moment later.

* * *

A.N. – Don't you hate it when someone kills the mood? Then again in their case someone **always** kills the mood. So next chapter our favorite hanyou gets to take the hot seat and play fifty questions… poor Inuyasha.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Exposure

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, but if you want to think I do then be my guest.

**Walking Through Fire**

by: Lara Winner

* * *

**Chapter 4: Exposure**

When Shippo had awakened to find Kagome alert and whispering to Inuyasha the kit had become quite vocal in his excitement.

"Kagome!" he cried excitedly, waking everyone in small hut with his happy squeal.

As everyone began to rouse Inuyasha quickly set Kagome away from him and back onto her futon, blushing furiously. He ignored the mild look of disappointment on her face and scooted back nearly a foot from the young miko. It was embarrassing enough that everyone knew he fancied her, he didn't have it in him to start with open displays of affection.

Kagome's attention quickly refocused on the kit and Inuyasha's annoyance rose another degree. He'd wanted to be close to her for a little while longer. He didn't like sharing her attention when he wanted it. Not that he hated Shippo or anything but Kagome wasn't the runt's mother, he didn't need to be all over.

The fact that Shippo wasn't 'all over Kagome' and had reason to be worried was something Inuyasha didn't want to acknowledge. At the moment he didn't feel like being reasonable. He felt like breaking something.

His agitation was back with a vengeance because soon the inquiry would start and he wasn't sure he was ready to answer the questions that would be leveled at him. He knew how the group as a whole felt about Kikyo, he didn't want to hear them bitch about that crap either. She was gone. It was time she got the respect she deserved, not the clay doll but the real Kikyo, the one he'd loved once upon a time in another life.

Truth be told he still loved Kikyo and he had long ago accepted the fact that he always would. But even he knew that the memories he harbored were far more glorious than the actual reality of the moment. The Kikyo of his memories was more of an ideal than the actual miko herself.

Kikyo would forever remain on a pedestal of integrity and purity. She was above the base aspirations of humans in general, or so she had appeared to the isolated boy he'd once been. She was the only thing he strove to be worthy of.

But that was blessed memory. The truth was that Kikyo was as flawed and as driven by earthly desires as he was. In the end the pedestal of his affections would have only become another cumbersome burden for her to bear and had he changed for her he would have never experienced true, unconditional acceptance.

It was her idea to wish upon the jewel. If only he'd known then how it would end…

Something in his expression betrayed the direction of his thoughts and he realized as much when Kagome caught his eye and offered him a sympathetic smile. Now was not the time to wallow in past mistakes. He could do that later, alone.

"It is good that you are well Kagome-sama." Miroku said gaining the hanyou's attention, "You had us all very worried."

"Yeah Kagome it was awful. We thought you were going to die." Shippo chimed in. The kit climbed onto Kagome's lap looking up at her with something akin to adoration on his little face.

Inuyasha growled softly.

Shippo ignored him.

Kagome looked back and forth between the houshi and the kitsune a bit confused. "Really? I'm sorry. I don't remember much of what happened."

"You wouldn't child." Kaede replied, "The power that you and my sister brought forth sucked your soul from your body. You were fading quickly. We are all curious as to how Inuyasha managed to retrieve it."

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome's tone was questioning and her gray eyes were wide and sparkling.

He liked that look on her face. It made something inside him feel warm and tingly. What he didn't like was the avid expressions on everyone else's face that reminded him of the makings of an inquisition. They wanted answers and he wasn't going make it out of the hut alive if he didn't start talking.

For a split second he debated lying and going with Kaede's explanation but just as instantaneously he decided against it. They deserved the truth, or rather, Kagome deserved the truth.

Most of it anyway.

Averting his gaze to the floor he said, "It wasn't the power baba. It was a soul-stealer trapped inside of Naraku that tried to use the remnants of Urasue's spell and Kagome's soul to create a human body for itself."

Sango appeared horrified. "Is that possible? I wasn't aware soul-stealers could draw out the souls the living beings."

"They can." Kohaku said softly, though clearly not intending to elaborate.

Inuyasha shrugged purposely being vague. From what the bastard said Kikyo had taken Kagome's soul first and left it the opening it needed… but they didn't need to know that part.

"It took my soul?" Kagome shivered, wrapping her arms about her chest. Still she offered her friends a weak grin. "In this case I'm glad third time wasn't a charm or I'd really be in a fix right now."

Her gaze shifted to Inuyasha and she sent him a meaningful I-know-there-more-to-this-than-you're-saying look and knew her suspicions were confirmed when the hanyou looked away, his ears drooping to disappear into his silver hair.

"Hmm, that is an unexpected." Kaede mused. "I suppose Naraku's combined powers could have altered the soul-stealer's abilities. They are unique creatures and their power is also bound to the netherworld. No one is truly certain of the extent of their abilities."

"But how do you explain the wounds that appeared on Kagome's stomach?" Sango questioned with a perplexed frown.

"What wounds?" Reflexively Kagome pressed a hand to her stomach but all felt normal. There was no soreness or pain. It was then she realized that she was no longer wearing her green and white school blouse but instead the blue and purple flowered top to her pajama set. How odd…

Shippo patted her knee with a tiny hand and explained, "You were lying there and all of a sudden you started bleeding. When Sango lifted your shirt there were claw marks cross your stomach. They just appeared even though nothing touched you."

"Those came from me."

Kagome felt a sinking feeling in her chest as she turned to look at Inuyasha. He voice was deadpan as he admitted blame for her injury and he sat slightly slumped, his hands clenched into tight fists to keep them from shaking and his head bowed hiding his expression behind the thick mop of his bangs. She didn't need to see his face to know the shame and guilt she would find there.

"But how? I was right there beside her Inuyasha." Sango said in disbelief. "You didn't touch her."

"It didn't matter. I lashed out at the creature before it told me that any injuries I gave it would be suffered by Kagome too. By then it was too late."

"You always rush into things baka!" Shippo snapped.

Inuyasha snarled lifting his head enough that the kit could see he bared teeth. "Shut up runt!"

Kagome interceded and admonished Shippo gently. "Don't call Inuyasha a baka. It wasn't his fault. He was just doing what he thought he could to protect me. Let's not make it worse than it is."

The kit nodded but Kagome felt that no amount of reason was going to ease the hanyou's guilt. So she scooted a little bit closer and covered one his clenched fists with her hand. She gave a gentle squeeze but said nothing.

Watching them Miroku shook his head in bemusement. "We know Inuyasha would never willingly harm you Kagome-sama. The fact that he single handedly sought to save you should say more than enough about that matter." Following Kagome lead he scooted a little bit closer to Sango despite the exterminator's warning glare and continued innocently, "What I am more curious about is how you came upon the soul-stealer Inuyasha?"

"I didn't. It found me." he said tersely, still extremely agitated.

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That makes little sense. Why seek out the one that would destroy you?"

"It was going by Kagome's feelings and memories. It didn't think I could figure out a way take it down because I'm a hanyou." Inuyasha replied trying to keep the growl out of his voice. He knew what was coming next.

"How did you defeat it, my friend?"

If possible Inuyasha's muscles became even more rigid with uneasy tension. He didn't want to answer the question. The implications of its meaning left his feelings too open for their interpretation. The only thing worse than being that exposed was being human.

There was no keeping the defensive edge out of his voice. "I couldn't kill it okay! I was out of options and out of time because if Kagome's body woulda died then that bastard would've kept her soul so I did the only thing that came to mind… I… used the jewel."

For a moment the stunned silence was deafening and that was all it took. Inuyasha's patience snapped. Shaking off Kagome's hand and practically yelling "Ah fuck it!", he stormed out the hut in a flurry of red and silver.

* * *

It wasn't conscious on Inuyasha's part that he ended up at the Goshinbu tree. His feet seemed to move in that direction on their own taking him to the place where long ago his life had ended in a misguided act of vengeance. Standing before the tree he couldn't help but wonder if he was going to lose out once more. 

Inuyasha wasn't the idiot he pretended to be. He knew Kagome loved him and her feelings for him were about the only thing he had absolute faith in.

Stepping closer he ran his clawed fingers over the rough bark of the ancient tree. It was weathered and the steadfast trunk showed its age. Reaching a bit higher he traced a deep laceration where an arrow had once been imbedded into the soft bark of the tree. He could still feel the cold metal tip of the arrow ripping through muscle and bone to pierce straight into his heart. It was why didn't dwell on it long enough to conjure the vivid memory.

A small quirk lifted the corner of his lips as he realized that the tree was healing itself. The grove was not as deep as it had once been. All things healed and he supposed that was nothing special.

But had he healed?

No. There was still a hole in his heart and he doubted it would ever mend.

He wasn't like the tree. He wasn't the resilient, unfeeling jerk that he portrayed to those who didn't know him well enough to see behind the façade. He had weathered many storms in his young life but unlike the tree his abrasions didn't heal, instead they festered and seeped their disease into his perception of everything.

Kikyo's death only ripped the hole inside of him wider spreading the void. And to watch her death twice… there weren't words to describe how that felt.

It didn't matter that Kikyo was only a pale copy of the woman she had been. I didn't matter that her motives were questionable or that she was driven by unnatural evil. When he looked at her he couldn't help but see the past, see the young girl who was his most precious treasure high on her pedestal of perfection. It wasn't real but it felt real enough.

There was barely enough of her remains left to bury. In the end she was even denied that measure of respect and it tore at him.

With a heavy sigh he settled at the base of the tree, tucking his arms into his haori in his trademark fashion. Birds chirped, forest critters scampered about, even the mid-day sun shone brightly dappling through the dense leaves. Life continued with innocent abandon and yet to Inuyasha, at that moment, it felt wrong. Perhaps it would ease his devastation if he could rage and cry and just vent everything inside, but he hadn't cried since he'd been a child.

Suddenly another memory surfaced in his mind, a day not so long ago when his eyes had stung with tears of terror and relief as he'd watched his friends, watched Kagome, slowly revive from poison that nearly done them in. He hadn't cried but it had been the closest he'd come in years.

Friends…

For as long as he could remember that had been a foreign word to him. Now it was more familiar than he was sometimes comfortable with.

And Kagome…

She was something else all together.

His ears perked, the little fuzzy triangles flicking forward as the faint sound of footsteps drew him from the meanderings in his mind. He knew who they belonged to long before she came into view. Honestly he'd expected nothing less and was surprised it had taken her this long to find him.

He said nothing as Kagome approached, just watched her come closer pensively. She didn't ask permission to join him, they were beyond suck trivial things, as she took a seat on the ground beside him.

"You shouldn't be up and about yet wench."

Kagome gave him a sidelong glance and smirked. "I'm fine. You made sure of that."

"Keh." He blushed.

What the hell was he supposed to say to that? He didn't do it for her praise or even because it was the right thing to do. He did it because not doing it wasn't an option. She didn't need to look at him like that, with that knowing look that said she could read him more easily than one of her study books from the future.

They lapsed into silence once again and not for the first time he noticed how comfortable he was just to be with her. They didn't have to touch because just having her there was enough. In a way it was like the acceptance he'd experienced with Kikyo but at the same time it was just as different. He's always minded his behavior with Kikyo. Actually he spoke little. She was the one who led him into conversation. And more often than not they didn't speak, yet the silence wasn't always comfortable.

"Inuyasha… do you want to talk about it?" Her quiet question brought him out of his reverie and he nodded.

"Did Kikyo…" he swallowed hard, "If Kikyo had tried to hurt you, you would tell me right?" He turned to her trying to judge her reaction as his question sank in.

Kagome opened her mouth then closed it again as she fumbled to answer the simple question. "Yes… but I… what does this have to with what happened yesterday? I don't understand."

"You don't remember anything? You're not just lying to make me feel better?"

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed more than a bit piqued, "You know I wouldn't lie to you. I don't remember what happened, honest. Why don't you try telling me what it is I'm supposed to remember?"

He frowned. "That fucking bitch of a soul-stealer said that Kikyo tried to take your soul first and that gave her what she needed to take it instead. I don't know if I should believe that or not. But if Kikyo did I'd want you to tell me…"

Kagome moved closer, and would have giggled if it weren't such a somber moment, as another blush rose up her hanyou's cheeks as she slipped her arms through his folded one and leaned against him. "I can't say if she did or not so let's give her the benefit of the doubt okay?"

A small smile curved his lips as he nodded, satisfied with her answer.

Glancing up at his profile Kagome nibbled nervously on her bottom lip trying to find the best way to broach what she felt needed to be discussed. There was no easy way to do it so she started by saying how she felt. "I'm sorry Inuyasha."

He glanced down at her. "For what?"

"It took us more than a year to complete the Shikon no Tama and I'm sorry you had to waste your wish on me." There she said it.

It was his turn to look a bit peeved. "Don't be fucking stupid Kagome! You think I was gonna let you die or something?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I know you'd never let anything happen to me… its just… you could have had anything you wanted and instead… I made you waste it. For that I'm sorry."

Inuyasha shrugged, "Don't be. I got what I really wanted."

He wouldn't dare look at her as he spoke but the sincerity was in his voice all the same. As she watched as his face turned even redder until finally he cursed, closing his eyes a sighing deeply.

Unable to stop the wide smile spreading across her face Kagome asked, "Well what were you going to wish for, before I mean."

"That the well would stay open so you could always come back to us." _to me…_ he grunted.

Kagome could have squealed in delight, and she would have if his answer hadn't brought up a possible, unpleasant repercussion. "Now that the jewel has been purified… what if the well closes?"

"I don't know…" he replied uneasily, "I wished for you to live the life you choose. Maybe the choice is yours…"

Inuyasha had tossed the ball to her, so to say. Now it was up to her. He wouldn't ask her to stay. He wouldn't ask her to come back if she left. She said she wanted to stay by his side and if she still felt that way, and he hoped to the gods that she did, then it was her choice to make.

He could feel her watching him closely and he waited for what she would say…

Only before Kagome had the chance to speak Inuyasha caught whiff of a scent that had him snarling quite viciously. There was only one asshole that smelled of wolf and had the worst timing in the fucking world. With no jewel shard to alert her of the wimpy wolf's approach, Kagome gasped in surprise at his reaction as he pulled away from her and jumped to his feet.

Barely a moment later the wolf prince came tearing through the trees, though moving much slower without his shards, and instantly spotted them at the Goshinbu tree.

It was obvious Inuyasha's protective stance was dismissed by the wolf as Kouga flashed Kagome a winning smile and said with his usual confidence, "Oi dog shit, move aside. I've come to collect my woman!"

* * *

A.N. – While I was happy that Kouga made a classy exit in the manga a few chapters back that doesn't mean I'm not above having my favorite demon and my favorite hanyou duke it out for Kagome. A girl can fantasize right? 

Thanks for reading!


	5. Checkmate

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, but if you want to think I do then be my guest.

**Walking Through Fire**

by: Lara Winner

888888888888888888888888888888888888

**Chapter 5: Checkmate**

Silence met the bold youkai's pronouncement. Even the birds stopped their twittering as if sensing the lethal tension that strained between the two males at the wolf's words. For Inuyasha it was the final blow to his frayed nerves. After everything he'd faced in the last thirty-six hours he was at his limit.

"Like fucking hell I will!" Inuyasha yelled, placing his hand on the hilt of tetsusaiga in warning to the daft wolf.

"I didn't come here to fight mutt. Just hand over my woman and we'll be on our way." Kouga said, his rakish smile never faltering as he held out a hand to Kagome.

Inuyasha knocked the wolf's hand away and stepped between them to block his view of Kagome. "Over my dead body!"

Kouga sneered, "Are you so eager to die, dog breath?"

"You can try you bastard but you won't last long against tetsusaiga!" Inuyasha snarled as pulled out the rusty sword and it transformed almost instantly.

Kouga was forced to take a step back yet he still seemed unimpressed with the hanyou's display of power. "We all know you have daddy's sword." he taunted, "So why don't you quit hiding behind the fucking thing and fight like a man."

"You fucking son of a bitch!" Inuyasha growled.

The wolf laughed. "Or are you afraid you'll lose dog shit?

"I ain't afraid of your pathetic ass, just your fleas."

"I'm sure you know all about fleas you mangy mutt!"

"Shut up you stinking wolf!" Inuyasha seethed, face turning red and blotchy from his fury.

"Make me!"

Inuyasha hefted the sword with practiced grace. "Don't worry I'd love to shove tetsusaiga down your fucking throat!"

"If you're gonna hide like a pussy behind your fucking sword then you're wasting my time dog shit! Kagome needs a real man!" Kouga snickered.

Inuyasha tried not to react to Kouga's insult but it was useless. He couldn't back down from such a blatant challenge, especially when his claim on Kagome was at stake.

"All right, you want a real fight then you'll get one." He smirked as he sheathed tetsusaiga and then removed the sheath from his waist and tossed it aside.

"Now that's more like it," Kouga said with relish, "so quit yapping like a puppy and let's get to it!"

Inuyasha ignored the red closing in on the edges of his vision. There was only one thing on his mind as he cracked his knuckles and rotated his shoulders. The stupid wolf had to die.

Inuyasha was ready when Kouga lunged and from behind him he heard Kagome's surprised cry but even that was overridden by the pounding of his heart as it echoed in his ears. Anger inflamed his blood as it pumped through his veins and the demon inside him awakened. He'd finally found an outlet for his inner anguish and nothing was going to stop him from ripping the wolf into bloody pieces.

From the sidelines Kagome watched as the boys circled each other trying to get in a good swipe and her stomach dropped in fear. She hated to see them fight but in the past their face-offs had never amounted to more than threats and name calling. Something about this fight was different, she could feel it down to her bones.

A particularly deep snarl sent a chill of apprehension down her spine and in a flash the boys collided. She barely choked back the scream that rose in her throat as they started punching a clawing.

Even lacking shards Kouga's reflexes were still impressive and it showed when he narrowly missed a wild swing from Inuyasha and followed with an upper cut to the jaw that sent the hanyou sailing several feet back and hitting the ground with a groan.

"Inuyasha!"

The hanyou winced as he picked himself off the ground. Kagome looked as if she wanted to run to him but knew better than to come between him and his opponent. He flexed his jaw and wiped the blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Kouga settled for glaring his contempt. "You want more mutt face, you got it!" He lunged again but this time Inuyasha caught him in the stomach and he doubled over, the breath knocked out of him.

"You're fucking pissing me off!" Inuyasha spat. He circled the wolf trying to anticipate his next move but again the wolf moved quick and before he could block Kouga sent a well-aimed kick right into his chest. He stumbled back with a curse.

Kagome worried her lip as she debated how to stop them. There was the old faithful method… but she really, _really_ hated to use it, especially after all that happened so recently. Inuyasha wouldn't understand why she'd subdued him, he never did. And she couldn't stand just watching and fretting. She had to do something before they killed each other.

As if sensing her thoughts Inuyasha eyes locked with her own. His lips curled back in a snarl and his expression spoke volumes as he warned, "Kagome, don't you dare-"

_Inuyasha I'm so sorry…_

"Osuwari!"

"Gah!" The colored beads pulsed and the hanyou hit the ground, his growls taking on a frenzied pitch as he struggled against the subjugation with maddening intensity.

Inuyasha's attempts only grew more wild as Kouga laughed, "Ever the obedient dog, heh? What else can you expected from a half-breed mongrel?"

As he turned to Kagome Inuyasha began to scream his frustration. "Fuck! I'm gonna kill you asshole! First I'll rip your stupid fucking tail off-"

However Kouga wasn't listening and he turned his undivided attention to Kagome. Under his ardent perusal she forced a polite smile, an undercurrent of annoyance gripping her heart.

Gently the wolf prince lifted her hand to his lips.

"-ya hear me baka! I said don't touch her! You're so fucking dead! Damn it Kagome! Fuck-"

"Its time you come with me Kagome." He said softly, persuasively, so very matter-of-factly that it dared to be denied.

"But… Kouga-kun I can't…" she shook her head helplessly begging him with her eyes to understand. How was she supposed to explain that her heart belonged to Inuyasha and until they resolved what lie between them she wasn't going anywhere? And there was her family to consider. She couldn't live solely in the past. She had ever intended to become Kouga's mate but how did she tell the confident prince that without hurting him?

"Of course you can. You're my woman and its time that you are by my side where you belong."

She tried to tug her hand from his grasp. "No really Kouga-kun, I can't."

Brazenly he reached up and curled a lock of her hair around a clawed finger all the while continuing to smirk, his handsome face aglow with teasing pleasure, completely undeterred. "No need to be so formal Kagome. From now on simply call me Kouga. You're to be my mate so it is only right."

"Mate? No Kouga-kun-" Kagome gasped and her voice fled as the wolf demon leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes flew wide in surprise, so caught off guard was she that she didn't even notice his hand had sunk into hair to hold her head still.

For the space of a heartbeat Kagome remained passive and then her brain snapped back into motion and overriding her shock was a spark of indignation. She pushed at the wolf prince's chest and tried to pull away, "Mowga swop!"

Neither Kagome nor Kouga saw Inuyasha rise to his feet, nor did they see the pain in his golden eyes as they flashed from gold to rust before taking on the hues of blood as jagged stripes formed on his pale face. By then it was too late.

"LET GO OF HER NOW!"

_Oh Gods…_

Kagome freed herself from Kouga's hold and turned to Inuyasha, a look of horror taking hold of her features. She'd heard the change in his voice and the gravely tone that sounded far too inhuman coming from her hanyou.

"Inuyasha!" she cried as she instinctively moved toward him, only to be stopped by Kouga.

"Don't go to him Kagome! He's out of control!"

She pulled against his vice-like hold, her own panic rising. "Let me go! I have to get to him before he does something stupid and hurts himself."

"Kagome he could hurt you!"

"No he won't." She tried prying at his fingers. "I have to get him to calm down before it destroys his mind!"

Kouga was stronger and still he held her back, eyeing the hanyou distastefully. "I'll take care of this!"

Frightened tears spilled down Kagome's cheeks and her panic nearly overwhelmed her as Kouga's pale blue irises turned crimson. She knew if the fighting continued it would be to the death. Inuyasha would submit to the consuming rage and the longer it kept hold of him the more damage it would do to his rationale. She had to get to Inuyasha.

"Please Kouga, let me go." She choked, her voice catching on a sob. "Please."

The wolf demon looked down at her and suddenly the crimson bled from his eyes they widened as if something occurred to him. His grip slackened enough to where she could her arm free, but he didn't seem to realize. He just look at her, really looked at her, and it felt as if Kouga were seeing her for the first time.

She backed away putting herself between him and Inuyasha. "Kouga I can't come with you and I can't be your mate because… I…" another wave of tears spilled over her lashes and the crushed look on Kouga's face said he could guess what she was about to say, and yet it had to be said, "…I love Inuyasha. I'm sorry."

"Kagome…" he looked as if there was more he wanted to say and took a step toward her but the crazed snarl that came from behind her stopped him in his tracks and sent her heart up into her throat.

"Kagome watch out!"

Kouga's shout was her only warning as elongated claws dug into her shoulder ripping the material of her school blouse and pricking her skin before yanking her backward. She hissed at the slight pain and losing her balance she fell into Inuyasha sending them both crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The hanyou braced himself above her, their faces nearly nose to nose, his teeth bared as he growled from the depths of chest.

How could anyone think she tamed him? The dangerous beauty of what he was held her immobile, almost mesmerized. He could seriously hurt her, even kill her before he realized his own actions. She was afraid, but not for herself. Never for herself. She'd stayed by his side through hell and back because it meant she could keep him safe and now was no different because she loved him.

"My Inuyasha…" Kagome's fingertips traced the vivid purple stripe over his cheekbone, then she threw her arms about his neck and held onto him as tightly as she could. Terror coursed through her at the thought of not being able to reach him and all she could do was hold him as she began to cry even harder.

Through the red haze a scent reached Inuyasha, one he recognized but didn't assocoiate with the salt that mingled with it. The was also the faintest trace of blood but it wasn't enough to keep the fire in his blood blazing like an inferno. He tried to shake off the hold that was keeping him down and draining his rage but the feeling of it, of _her_, was seeping into his consciousness like the fine web work of cracked glass.

He knew that scent. He knew the fragile body pressed against him. Her tears prodded him with human emotions he didn't want to feel. Yet her name was like a prayer whispering across his brain.

_Kagome…_

She trembled as hope surged through her. It wasn't her imagination, his rumbling growls were lowering in volume and his struggles against her embrace were lessening. After another tense moment of halfhearted resistance, he finally fell silent and tucked his face against her neck, his breathing turning choppy. One of his arms snaked loosely around her back and Kagome almost began crying again out of sheer relief.

Then she remembered Kouga.

The wolf prince stood to the side watching them with a blank expression. When her eyes met his stare he looked away, an irksome flush tinting his cheeks. She could see his annoyance reflected in his proud pose, and she could see the sting of her rejection in the set of his jaw. She hated the fact that she had to hurt him like that.

Kouga lifted his chin haughtily. "Dog shit got control of himself yet?"

Just the sound of the wolf's voice had Inuyasha growling again and she tightened her hold on the hanyou's neck even more. She nodded. "You had better go Kouga. I can handle him now."

When he finally looked at her he seemed confused, "You would really rather be with him?" he asked. She nodded and was surprised when he flashed a sardonic smirk, "I won't say I understand but if you ever get tired of his shit you know where to find me." With his offer hanging in the air he gave her a curt nod and then the wolf youkai was tearing back through the trees from which he had come.

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Miroku knew he shouldn't.

However, temptation did not heed logic and it was right there as she bent before him, curved delicately just the way he liked. It was as if Buddha himself were smiling in approval. It would be a sin not admire such a nice specimen of-

"If you even think about it I will break your fingers."

Instantly his mesmerized expression was replaced with one of pious innocence, a sure sign of his guilt. "Sango, my love, you do me a grave injustice by suggesting that I, a monk no less, would entertain _that_ idea."

She stared at him over her shoulder, unmoved.

"Well perhaps it did cross my mind but only for a moment, I assure you."

"Remind me why I put up with you again?" she asked wearily as she resumed the task of stirring the stew she had helped Kaede prepare only a short time ago.

Despite her tone and her threat Miorku noticed that she did not move to the other side of the fire. He smiled. "Because you love me just as I love you."

"Of course, how could I forget."

He moved closer… and closer…

Sango dropped the wooden spoon into the metal pot and whirled on the henati monk with a severe frown marring her flushed face. "You just don't know when to quit! I mean, what in the world has gotten into you? Since yesterday every time I turn around you're trying to grope me. Everyone knows you have wandering hands but this is a bit much, even for you!"

Miroku couldn't hold back his smile. "Then I shall explain it to you as best I can." He held up his healed, right hand. "There is no more Kazanna, which in turn means there is no longer a glove or prayer beads to hinder my… ah… explorations. So in celebration of Naraku's defeat I only ask for a small squeeze, if you will be so kind."

For a long moment Sango could do nothing but stare at the monk dumbfounded. Then she began laughing.

While her laughter was far more preferable to her fists, her answer was still no. Sango wasn't kind, Miroku mused with a forlorn sigh, not kind at all.

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It wasn't until Kagome handed him tetsusaiga that Inuyasha felt the last measure of his sanity slip back into place. He remained on his knees not daring to look at her, shame adding to the well of guilt he seemed unable to escape. He could have killed her, as it was he could smell her blood on his claws for the second time in mere hours.

It was sobering thought.

He heard the shift of material just before she placed a shaking hand on his shoulder. As if burned he jerked away, unable to bear her sympathy when the monster inside of him deserved none of it.

"Inuyasha?"

It took everything in him to resist the urge to burrow himself in her arms. "Don't. Stay away from me."

"But Inuyasha-"

"Stay away!" he said more sharply then he'd intended. When she sniffled he sighed in frustration. "Don't you get it! Next time I might kill you baka!"

"No, you would never hurt me. Don't say such stupid things." she admonished softly.

He winced. "I can smell your blood."

"You mean my shoulder? It's just a scratch. You could have taken my head off if you'd wanted to but you didn't. Besides it's my fault this happened. If I hadn't subdued you things wouldn't have gone that far."

That's right, she'd said the fucking word and he'd gone splat on the ground just like alway- Inuyasha froze as he remembered something else, something that made all feelings guilt and remorse fade into anger.

"You kissed him." He breathed, sounding shell-shocked. A crushing ache settled in his chest and he winced. He knew the feeling well. There was nothing like the cut of betrayal.

"YOU FUCKING KISSED HIM!" He yelled jumping to feet to tower over Kagome.

"Oooh you know it wasn't like that." she fretted, twisting her hands nervously.

"Not like that! NOT LIKE THAT! I know what I saw and you were KISSING!"

Kagome blushed. He was so angry his face was steaming and he was jabbing his finger at her like it was her fault. Yup, the baka was going to give himself an anurism if she didn't find a way to calm him down.

"He kissed me Inuyasha, not the other way around. There is a difference, you know. If I'd known he'd sneak one on me I wouldn't have let him stand so close to me." she defended trying not to get angry herself.

"Riiight! It wasn't your fault just like leading him on for last two years wasn't your fault! And just like sitting me into oblivion every time he's watching isn't your fault either! Nothings you're fault Kagome! I'm the always the bad guy all the ti-"

"Osuwari!"

It was Kagome's turn to stand over the Inuyasha shaped crater as she glared down at the hanyou with narrowed eyes. "I never led Kouga on. We were friends and that's all I've ever been to him. And the only reason I subdued you today was because if I hadn't one of you was going to end up seriously hurt."

A muffled "You should've let me kill the bastard." drifted up to her as folded her arm and began taping her foot in agitation.

She waited for the spell to wear off. She waited till Inuyasha crawled out of his crater and faced her eye to eye. What surprised her was the look of unabashed hurt that lingered in his golden orbs.

"Why Kagome?" he asked in a strangely docile manner. "What has he done for you that I haven't? Why do you always take his side and make me look stupid?" he sucked in a breath, "Why would you kiss him in front of me like that?"

It amazed her how just a look from him could pierce her heart like a thousand daggers. _Oh why couldn't he understand for once…_ "It's not like that! I didn't kiss him."

"You did too! I saw you!"

That was all Kagome's nerves could take. Frustration brought on by years of Inuyasha's orneriness had been building within her like bubbling lava and her ability to reason was worn down like a cracked dam. Once the floodgates opened there was no stopping the seething words that came pouring for her lips.

"BAKA! After all this time that I've stayed with you, after everything we've gone through, after Kikyo, you still don't trust me! Well while you were going too busy going psycho Kouga asked me to go with him and you know what I said? I said No! And you know why? Because I love you. And I told him I love you and he's not going to come back anymore because he's knows exactly how I feel about you. Everybody knows exactly how I feel about you but YOU! How do you think that makes me feel!" she hissed.

He flinched, his ears disappearing into his silver hair and she could have sworn she heard something that sounded suspiciously like a whimper. But these feelings had been kept inside her for too long and it was time everything was said, no more assumptions.

She pushed at his chest but the hanyou didn't budge. "Baka!" she slapped at his chest and still he didn't bat an eye, "I love you! You hear me! I love you!" she slapped at him again, "Baka! Even when I'm so angry at you I can't think straight I still love you. Am I getting through to you baka!" and then she was in his arms, crushed against him so tightly she was surprised her ribs didn't creak in protest.

"Kagome…" he murmured into her hair, his voice tender and reverent. It wasn't often he held her like his life depended on it, yet right now it did. He was not a man of many words and he sure as hell didn't have Miroku's cool charm. So he did what came naturally and settled for showing her how much her admission meant.

Inuyasha's eyes slid closed in pleasure as the truth of her confession washed over him. To hear the words, to hear her voice so desperate, it awed him. It invigorated him. He hadn't lied when he proclaimed that she was his strength. Kagome was that and more. She was his conscience, she was his hope, she was his future and she was also his weakness.

Simply put, she was his life.

"Stay with me," he whispered, his heart in his voice. "I can't lose you. I can't. I don't know what I'd do."

Kagome leaned back, just enough to his see his face, and beamed. "Don't worry. I'm going to personally make sure you never have to find out."

Inuyasha was certain he'd never seen Kagome's smile as dazzling as it was at that moment and it caused a funny little fluttering to start in his stomach that spread out in a tingle of warmth throughout his body. The feeling triggered his heart rate to triple and he didn't know if he was moving closer or if she was, not that it mattered because when her lips brushed his all intelligent brain activity ceased.

And it was a long, _long_ time before his thought process returned.

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A.N. – I'm sorry it took me so long to this chapter. Life has been pretty crazy so thanks for having patience. All that's left is an epilogue and this fic is done.

Thanks for reading!


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